This will be my last blog on this site as I prepare to return to Scotland at the end of this month. I sensed the Lord lead me clearly to Genesis 31:13 where He tells Jacob to ‘Arise now, and return to the land of your birth.’ Well that was pretty clear to me, so after a relatively short sojourn in the south we will return north.

I have been pondering those who return. Jacob of course is one; Jesus returns to Galilee from the wilderness, and the Israelites return to their homeland from exile in Babylon. So how do you return?
The Israelites were going to return with singing, everlasting joy and gladness, while their sighing and sorrow would flee away (Isaiah 35:10).
Jesus returned ‘in the power of the Spirit’ (Luke 4:14), and then embarked on His incredible ministry.
Jacob maybe had a harder time. He was pursued by his father-in-law Laban who he had a bit of an uneasy relationship with – they really didn’t trust each other. He had to face meeting his estranged brother Esau, who had a degree of military power and maybe wanted some revenge. Jacob didn’t have the best record of personal relationships! But God had told him to return and no one was going to prevent that. The meeting with Esau turned out surprisingly well.

Jacob also had a wrestling match with the Angel of the Lord, but came out of it with a blessing and a new name.

There may be lots of times we have to return to somewhere, some task or some person. It doesn’t need to be a stepping back, but a re-engagement at a new level. In the process God will do some significant things with us to prepare us for what is to come.